The European Commission has sent a consignment of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccine to Zambia in order to help the African nation's efforts in fighting an outbreak of the disease in the northern part of the country.

The consignment consists of 80,000 doses of FMD vaccine. In late 2010, an epidemic wave in the north of the country has been caused by a newly introduced serotype O of the FMD virus.

In the UK, the Scottish and English industries are working harder than ever to raise awareness of bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD).

The Scottish government has provided funding for screening of herds, in which farmers are encouraged to participate. In a bid to eradicate the disease from Scotland, a consultation is currently being on how to operate compulsory screening for breeding herds in the near future.

Research in the Netherlands has found that feeding too much Vitamin E to cows can lead to an increased incidence of mastitis.

The next newsletter will be sent out on the 7 January 2011. Merry Christmas and best wishes for the New Year!

Benefits of Slow-release Boluses
IRELAND - Dairy farmers in Donegal, who have experienced health issues in their herds resulting from trace element deficiencies, learned more about the benefits of slow-release boluses at a recent meeting in Ballybofey.